representation-of-childrens-tv

[representation-of-childrens-tv]

Gender Stereotypes in Children's Media

Gender Stereotypes in Children’s Media

Each of us had a favorite show from our childhood that we would find to watch after we got home from a long day at school. Perhaps it was Curious George or Phineas and Ferb, or maybe it was Bob The Builder and Mickey Mouse. Even though we all may have different shows that we remember, we know how important these shows were in our early childhood stages. These shows served as a great diversion from reality because they were so calming and uplifting. Even though the television programs we've watched have had a significant impact on us, have we given them much thought? Did anyone ever notice that these shows that we did watch were male-oriented? Many state that “cinematography is male-dominated” it's disturbing that women could have been more suited for a particular role than men would have been. As a young girl, I preferred a female lead, yet most of the shows I could see at the time featured male characters. In the film industry, men make up the majority of directors, and there is a correlation between men hiring other men. Along with this, boys may say that they believe that females in TV shows are seen to be more presentable. We can add to the continuing conversation that media representation affects social perceptions of gender roles and equality. Doing so, we analyze the presence of both male and female characters in children's TV shows and their effects on viewers. Additionally, we need to emphasize the possible influence on both girl's and boy's views and goals by evaluating gender roles in children's TV shows. Let's find the fine line between why this is happening and how we might be able to help.

      While children's TV shows let children use their imaginations freely, I argue that watching these programs has negative impacts on the children who do watch them. These young girls shouldn't be wearing a full face of makeup to school, simply to look like their favorite TV show character. It also doesn't seem to me that both of these genders need to play a certain role, which these children are following. Furthermore, young viewers may have inaccurate self-image and low self-esteem as a result of some children's TV shows' exaggerated depictions of body images and beauty standards. In a study that looked at gender roles in TV programming, Soojung Kang and Stacey Hust identified major roles in TV shows and how they make these children think. They even communicated that these women who are in TV shows are being looked down upon, “Further, even when women were included in screen content, they were stereotypically portrayed or sexually objectified, which is another way to subordinate or symbolically annihilate women''. TV shows such as Handy Manny and Bob the Builder show the male leads to be the workers and the “fixers” and the females as side characters. Just like many other shows, the males are the workers who provide for the family and the females are the ones who cook and clean. These films depict genders as something that they perceive to exist in a specific society, these portrayals devalue and objectify genders. Children's TV shows must question existing biases and feature a broader range of characters in order to promote healthy views of gender roles and self-image. This will inspire young viewers to embrace their uniqueness and talents beyond basic standards. 

The notion that physical attractiveness is more valued in women than in men has been perpetuated by society for a long time, with the overall consensus being that women are more beautiful than males. This is seen in many popular TV shows, in which they show how these females are more attractive than certain males. In Gender Representations in Children's Media and their Influence, Isabella Steyer states that “Typically, women have been found to be more physically attractive than males”. Even while adults are aware of this, it is concerning that these younger children are watching this at a time when their brains are still developing and they are still figuring things out. Physical appearance is a huge factor in many TV shows, and younger girls are starting to attempt to keep up with the characters' beauty standards. In the article, Kids Are Influenced by TV, but in Ways You Might Not Expect, Sarah Lamer states “In our studies, we asked girls aged 6 to 11 to watch 4 minutes of silent clips featuring the pattern. After watching these clips, they felt like their parents and peers wanted them to be more feminine.” Young girls face harsh gender stereotypes that make their self-esteem lower. The way society views physical attractiveness in TV shows has resulted in a worrying trend where younger girls feel pressured to live up to the beauty standards of their characters. Women should be more attractive than men, according to society's long-standing emphasis, which is furthered by TV shows. This has an impact on young girls, whose developing minds are under pressure to live up to the ideals of beauty set by fictional characters. It is essential that the media demonstrates a range of beauty standards and highlights the importance of inner traits in order to fix this.

We don’t want children to grow up and have to worry about what they should be wearing and if it’s okay or not. As Caroline Knorr states in her article titled What media teach kids about gender can have lasting effects, “For young audiences who absorb ideas from the media on how to behave and what to become, these characterizations can lead to false assumptions and harmful conclusions”. One may wonder what we can do to help improve this sense of gender equality in these shows. I believe that we should increase the number of female leads as well as make both females and males have similar roles in society in the shows. Instead of having males be the main leads, we should create more shows with independent and strong female leads. Children need to be exposed to realistic gender norms, doing so will have a major impact on the self-esteem of not only young girls but young boys as well, such as both genders having equality. Having an increased amount of female leads would accurately show that both genders are equally important. More strong, independent female characters should be included in television programs in order to have a more equitable and beneficial influence on young children. Children can be helped to develop a healthier sense of self-esteem regardless of gender by breaking away from beliefs and showing both genders in various positions.

In today's world, there is a social norm that we have to meet to be accepted into society. Whether that is being beautiful to others, or how you appear to other people is a big deal. That brings up the famous saying “what’s beautiful is good”. In the article Do Animated Disney Characters Portray and Promote the Beauty–Goodness Stereotype? Denise Martz tells us that “Seminal social psychological research conducted 30 years ago documented the what-is-beautiful-is-good stereotype (Dion et al., 1972), or the perception that physically attractive individuals possess more positive qualities and experience more satisfying life outcomes than do unattractive individuals”. Meaning, that an individual has to meet certain attractiveness standards as well as make sure they are presenting themselves like other people. If it’s not beautiful to someone who sees you and your appearance, then it’s not okay to look that certain way. We also should take into account how important it is for kids to understand the messages that are on a certain TV show. Of course, this TV show that is being presented should include both female and male characters that have similar roles, to present no gender gaps for our children. Doing so would lead to a positive outlook on our children's outlook on this subject, and how they view the opposite gender along with how they need to view themselves. 

It is important to highlight the effects of gender roles, as well as to highlight how gender is being shown in TV shows that these children watch. Gender stereotypes in children’s TV shows can have a drastic effect on both the self-esteem and perceptions of these children. Women's representations show traditional roles and unrealistic standards that conform to beauty due to the fact that they want to look like someone society calls “beautiful”. Gender equality must be promoted and there must be more strong, separate female characters in order to create a more inclusive narrative. Children can gain a more positive and inclusive understanding of themselves and others by questioning existing social norms and introducing them to a variety of role models. Children who have access to TV shows that show diverse and strong gender representations inspire children to go beyond the box and question norms. These children will grow up with an unbiased perspective, which will pave the way to a world where they are not held back due to certain gender stereotypes.

Works Cited

Steyer, Isabella. "Gender Representations in Children's Media and their Influence." Campus - Wide Information Systems 31.2 (2014): 171-80. ProQuest. Web. 11 Dec. 2023.

Soojung, Kang, and J. T. Hust Stacey. "Traditionally and Narrowly Defined: Gender Portrayals in Television Programming Targeting Babies and Toddlers." Sex Roles 86.9-10 (2022): 576-86. ProQuest. Web. 11 Dec. 2023.

Martz, Denise, et al. “Do Animated Disney Characters Portray and Promote the Beauty–Goodness Stereotype?” Journal Of Applied Social Psychology, 1 Oct. 2010, web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.stonehill.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=60e403dc-d11b-4b3e-904d-3c6787b61ba8%40redis. Accessed 12 Dec. 2023.

Knorr, Caroline. “What Media Teach Kids about Gender Can Have Lasting Effects, Report Says.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 June 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/health/gender-stereotypes-media-children-partner/index.html.

Souchon, Nicolas, et al. “Kids Are Influenced by TV, but in Ways You Might Not Expect.” SPSP, 8 Dec. 2023, spsp.org/news/character-and-context-blog/lamer-television-influence-children-gender.